Music

Music has its original cause in motion: therefore, after the motions most swift and most slow, which are in the firmament, performed by nature and under the astronomer's consideration, now I will speak of another kind of motion, producing sound, audible and countable by man. By music I mean, here, that science which the Greeks call Harmonice. I do not meddle with the controversy between the ancient Harmonists and Canonists. Music is a mathematical science which teaches, by sense and reason, perfectly to judge and order the diversities of sounds, high and low. Astronomy and music are sisters, says Plato. As, for astronomy, the eyes were made; so, for harmonious motion, the ears. But as astronomy has a more divine contemplation and benefit than mortal eye can perceive, so music is to be considered,

(1.)

that the mind may be preferred to the ear. And from audible sound we ought to rise to the examination: which numbers are harmonious and which are not. And why the one are, and the other are not. I could at length,

(2.)

in the heavenly motions and distances, describe a marvelous harmony, of Pythagoras' harp

(3.)

with eight strings. Also, something might be said of Mercury's two harps,

(4.)

each of four elemental strings. And very strange matter might be alleged of the harmony,

(5.)

appropriate to our spiritual part. As may appear in Ptolemy's third book, in the fourth and sixth chapters.

(6.)

And what is the cause of the fitting bond and friendly fellowship of the intellectual and mental part of us with our gross and corruptible body, but a certain mean and harmonious spirituality, participating in both and (in a manner) resulting in

(7.)

the tune of the human voice, and also

(8.)

the sound of instruments: what might be said of harmony, no common musician would readily believe.

I. D. Read in Aristotle's 8th book of Politics, the 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters. Where you will have further occasion to think about music than is commonly thought.

But of the sundry mixture (as I may call it) and concourse, the diverse comparison and application of these harmonies, as of three, four, five, or more: marvelous have the effects been; and yet the like may be found and produced, with some proportional consideration for our time and being, in respect of the state of the things then, in which and by which the wondrous effects were wrought. Democritus and Theophrastus affirmed that, by music, griefs and diseases of the mind and body might be cured, or inferred. And we find in record that Terpander, Arion, Ismenias, Orpheus, Amphion, David, Pythagoras, Empedocles, Asclepiades, and Timotheus, by harmonic consonance, have done and brought to pass things more than marvelous to hear of. Of them, then, making no further discourse here: I am sure that common music, commonly used, is found by musicians and hearers to be so beneficial and pleasant that if I were to say and argue only this much—that it ought to be used otherwise than it is—I should find more critics than I could find people privy to, or skilled in, my meaning. In things, therefore, evident and better known than I can express, and so allowed and approved of (as I would wish some other things had the like luck), I will spare to enlarge my lines any further, but consequently follow my purpose.

Music, as a kind of motion, has its original cause. So, after the swiftest and slowest motions in the firmament, which nature performs and the astronomer considers, I will now speak of another kind of motion: sound-producing, audible, and countable by human beings. By music here I mean the science that the Greeks call Harmonice. I will not take up the dispute between the ancient harmonists and canonists. Music is a mathematical science. By sense and reason it teaches us to judge and order the differences between high and low sounds perfectly. Astronomy and music are sisters, Plato says. The eyes were made for astronomy, and the ears for harmonious motion. But astronomy has a more divine contemplation and usefulness than any mortal eye can perceive. So music is to be considered:

(1.)

that the mind may be preferred to the ear. And from audible sound we should go on to examine which numbers are in harmony and which are not. And why the one are and the other are not. I could at length,

(2.)

in the heavenly motions and distances, describe the marvelous harmony of Pythagoras' harp

(3.)

with eight strings. Something could also be said of Mercury's two harps,

(4.)

each with four elemental strings. And very strange things could be said about the harmony,

(5.)

that belongs to our spiritual part. As can be seen in Ptolemy's third book, in the fourth and sixth chapters.

(6.)

And what causes the fitting bond and friendly fellowship between the intellectual and mental part of us and our gross and corruptible body, but a certain middle and harmonious spiritual nature, in which both share and which (in a way) results from both? In

(7.)

the tune of the human voice, and also

(8.)

the sound of instruments: of what could be said about harmony, no ordinary musician would readily believe.

(I. D. Read Aristotle's 8th book of Politics: the 5, 6, and 7 chapters. There you will have further occasion to think about music than is commonly thought.)

But of the various mixture (as I may call it), the coming together, the different comparison, and the application of these harmonies: as of three, four, five, or more, the effects have been marvelous; and the like could still be found and produced, if we take some proportional account of our time and our situation, compared with the state of the things then, in which and by which those wonderful effects were produced. Democritus and Theophrastus said that by music the griefs and diseases of mind and body could be cured or brought on. And we find in the record that Terpander, Arion, Ismenias, Orpheus, Amphion, David, Pythagoras, Empedocles, Asclepiades, and Timotheus, by harmonic consonance, have done and brought about things more than marvelous to hear of. I will say no more about them here. I am sure that ordinary music, as commonly used, is found by musicians and listeners to be so useful and pleasant that, if I were to say and argue only this much—that it ought to be used differently from the way it is—I would find more critics than I could find people who understood what I meant. So in things that are evident and better known than I can express, and that are accepted and approved (as I wish some other things had the same luck), I will not extend my text any further, but will go on with my purpose.